osteria's Profile

Thought this may be of interest to any others who may be thinking of having a special dinner at Alinea. I emailed their office the following email:

"I intend upon booking a reservation for July (and I'm aware I cannot do this until May 1) but I had a few questions I was wondering about and was hoping you all could answer them for me.

Is it at all possible to have a wine list emailed to me? I am aware that you all do a wine pairing, but I'd prefer to either do a champagne, a white and a red by the glass or order a nice bottle of red and wanted to take a peek at the offerings. I am aware that the list could very well change prior to July, but would still like to look at it nonetheless.

How long does a standard dinner take? Also, I am interested in setting up a tour of the kitchen...what seating time would you suggest to best allow for a viewing of the kitchen, an early or a late one? "

The response was:"Thank you for your inquiry. We do not publish our wine list, but if you have specific questions about our wine I would be more than happy to have one of our sommeliers give you a call. Once you schedule a reservation, we would be more than happy to arrange for a tour of the kitchen at the time of your dinner, but that is subject to whether the kitchen would have time. There would not be a difference between an earlier or later reservation in regards to a kitchen tour. Dinner usually lasts between 2 1/2 and 3 hours. Please advise if I may be of further assistance."

From what I was told on the phone a few days ago when I called, they will start accepting reservations for ALL dates in July as of May 1.

As far as reservations, from the research I did online, they do request a credit card to hold the table and I *believe* there may be a fee if you do not cancel within 24 hours (but don't quote me on that part).

I am intending upon taking my significant other here for his birthday in July. He is a cook and aspiring chef and he has never had the chance to dine here. While there, I am going to inquire about a kitchen tour.

Anyway, I would love to know more about the service, ambiance and the wine. Would you describe the service as obtrusive? How long is dinner? What are the seating times (earliest and latest reservation)? As far as wine, I am not interested in the pairing. I'd like more info on their by the glass and bottle offerings. General pricings as well. For example, I'd like to start with 2 glasses of champagne at the table when we arrive.

Well, I can tell you for a fact that in the next week or so, they are doing a large menu overhaul. The favorites will still be there, but they will be replacing a lot of the items. It'll be exciting tasting all the new dishes during our meetings before work.

Well, I've obviously tried the food at the new Tramonto/Gand restaurants because I am a server at the Osteria. Having been there since before the restaurant even actually opened has given me the opportunity to try every item on the menu (including breakfast) and I can highly recommend the Ricky T's Braised Short Ribs, Salmon Scallopine (no, it does not come with pasta), Mezzi Rigatoni and Absolute Penneti. As for desert, don't miss out on the yummy Apple Crostada.

The wine list at this restaurant is phenomenal and the sommeliers are always on hand to help the customers - just know that when every table wants to speak with them, it takes a while for them to get to your table at times.

This place really is a gem. I've dined there myself several times and have received great service. I know, though, that service can be a bit strained at times on very busy weekend nights, but it's never bad in the least. All the staff has been schooled extensively on the food (including cheeses and salumis) and the wine list.

Come out and enjoy the Osteria. It will be a great experience for you, I'm sure.